The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water)
include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. Our
source is surface water from Stark Spring. We also purchase treated surface
water from Batesville Water Utility whose source is from the White River (Lake
Unico). Batesville Water Utility also purchased water from the Rock-Moore Water
Authority, whose sources of water are three wells that pump from the Alluvial
Aquifer.

How Safe Is The Source Of Our
Drinking Water?

The
Arkansas Department of Health has completed Source Water Vulnerability
Assessments for Cushman Water System and Batesville Water Utility. The
assessments summarize the potential for contamination of our sources of
drinking water and can be used as a basis for developing source water
protection plans. Based on the various criteria of the assessments, our water
sources have been determined to have a low to medium susceptibility to
contamination. You may request summaries of the assessments from our office.

As water travels over the surface of the land or through the
ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, can pick
up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include: Microbial
contaminants such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage
treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and
wildlife; Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals, which can be
naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or
domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; Pesticides
and herbicides which may come from a variety of sources such as
agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses; Organic chemical
contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come
from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; Radioactive
contaminants which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and
gas production and mining activities.

In order to assure tap water is safe to drink, EPA has regulations
which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public
water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits
for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for
public health.

Am I at
Risk?

All drinking water,
including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small
amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not
necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. However, some people
may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general
population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing
chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with
HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be
particularly at risk from small amounts of contamination. These people should
seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. More
information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by
calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
1-800-426-4791. In addition, EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen
the risk of infection by microbiological contaminants are also available from the
Safe Drinking Water Hotline.

Lead and Drinking Water

If
present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially
for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from
materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We
are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control
the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

When
your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential
for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using
water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water,
you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water,
testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from
the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

How Can I Learn More About Our
Drinking Water?

If
you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility,
please contact Don Riley, Manager, at 870-698-0853. We want our valued
customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more,
please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the third
Monday of each month at 6:30 PM at Cushman City Hall.

TEST RESULTS

We, Batesville Water Utilities, and the Rock-Moore Water Authority
routinely monitor for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal
and State laws. The test results table shows the results of our monitoring for
the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2013. In the table you might find terms
and abbreviations you are not familiar with. To help
you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:

Action Level - the
concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements which a water system must follow.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - the
highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set
as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment
technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
(MCLG) – unenforceable public health goal; the level of a contaminant in
drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs
allow for a margin of safety.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) - the highest level
of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that
addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal
(MRDLG)
- the level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of
disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

NA – not applicable

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) – a unit of
measurement for the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just
noticeable to the average person.

Parts per billion (ppb) - a unit of measurement for detected levels
of contaminants in drinking water. One part per billion corresponds to one
minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Parts per million (ppm) – a unit
of measurement for detected levels of contaminants in drinking water. One part
per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in
$10,000.

MICROBIOLOGICAL
CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

Violation

Y/N

Level Detected

Unit

MCLG

(Public Health
Goal)

MCL

(Allowable Level)

Major Sources in
Drinking Water

Total
Coliform Bacteria (Cushman
Water System)

Y

4
positive samples for

October

Present

0

1
positive sample per month

Naturally
present in the environment

¨ Coliforms
are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an
indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present.
Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of
potential problems.

TURBIDITY

Contaminant

Violation

Y/N

Level
Detected

Unit

MCLG

(Public
Health Goal)

MCL

(Allowable
Level)

Major
Sources in Drinking Water

Turbidity

(Cushman
Water System)

N

Highest
yearly sample result: 0.12

NTU

NA

Any measurement in
excess of 1 NTU constitutes a violation

Soil
runoff

Lowest
monthly % of samples meeting the turbidity limit: 100%

Turbidity

(Batesville
Water Utilities)

N

Highest
yearly sample result: 0.14

A value less than
95% of samples meeting the limit of 0.3 NTU, constitutes a violation

Lowest
monthly % of samples meeting the turbidity limit: 100%

¨Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of water. We and
Batesville Water monitor it because it is a good indicator of the
effectiveness of our filtration systems.

INORGANIC
CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

Violation

Y/N

Level Detected

Unit

MCLG

(Public Health
Goal)

MCL

(Allowable Level)

Major Sources in
Drinking Water

Fluoride

(Batesville
Water Utilities)

N

Average:
0.78

Range:
0.47 – 0.91

ppm

4

4

Erosion
of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth

¨We
are currently on a reduced monitoring schedule and required to sample once
every three years for lead and copper at the customers’ taps. The results
above are from our last monitoring period in 2011. Our next required
monitoring period is in 2014.

TOTAL
ORGANIC CARBON

¨The
percentage of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was routinely monitored in
2013, and all TOC removal requirements set by USEPA were met. TOC has no
health effects. However, Total Organic Carbon provides a medium for the
formation of disinfection by-products. These by-products include Trihalomethanes
(THMs) and Haloacetic acids (HAAs).

REGULATED
DISINFECTANTS

Disinfectant

Violation

Y/N

Level Detected

Unit

MRDLG

(Public Health
Goal)

MRDL

(Allowable Level)

Major Sources in
Drinking Water

Chlorine

(Cushman
Water System)

N

Average:
1.10

Range:
0.8 – 1.5

ppm

4

4

Water
additive used to control microbes

BY-PRODUCTS OF
DRINKING WATER DISINFECTION

Contaminant

Violation

Y/N

Level Detected

Unit

MCLG

(Public Health
Goal)

MCL

(Allowable Level)

HAA5
[Haloacetic Acids]

(Cushman
Water System)

N

Highest
Running 12 Month Average: 26.3

Range:
26.2 – 26.3

ppb

0

60

TTHM [Total
Trihalomethanes]

(Cushman Water
System)

N

Highest
Running 12 Month Average: 49.2

Range:
49 – 49.4

ppb

NA

80

UNREGULATED
CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

Level Detected

Unit

MCLG

(Public Health
Goal)

Major Sources in
Drinking Water

Chloroform

(Cushman
Water System)

0.51

ppb

70

By-products
of drinking water disinfection

Chloroform

(Batesville
Water Utilities)

18.4

Bromodichloromethane

(Cushman
Water System)

0.53

ppb

0

Bromodichloromethane
(Batesville
Water Utilities)

5.68

Bromodichloromethane

(Rock-Moore
Water Authority)

1.0

Dibromochloromethane

(Cushman
Water System)

0.60

ppb

60

Dibromochloromethane

(Batesville
Water Utilities)

1.09

Dibromochloromethane

(Rock-Moore
Water Authority)

1.39

Bromoform

(Rock-Moore
Water Authority)

1.06

ppb

0

¨Unregulated
contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water
standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist
EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking
water and whether future regulation is warranted. MCLs (Maximum Contaminant
Levels) and MCLGs (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals) have not been established
for all unregulated contaminants.

VIOLATIONS
– Cushman Water System

TYPE: Microbiological

FROM:

TO:

CORRECTIVE
ACTION:

Exceeded
the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for Total Coliform bacteria